Computers and Resource-Based History Teaching:A UK Perspective

Abstract

This article presents an overview of developments incomputer-aided history teaching in higher education inthe UK and the US, which have focused primarily onproviding students with access to primary sources inorder to enhance their understanding of historicalmethods and content. From an initial emphasis onresearch training for postgraduates, which taughtquantitative methods, or the use of drill-stylequestion-and-answer programs, advances in hardwarecapacity and software provision have led to morevaried methods of analysis. Computer-assisted learninglends itself particularly to the growing emphasis onstudents' use of primary sources, as more texts becomeavailable in electronic format on CD-ROM or the WorldWide Web. Hypermedia can provide a unique learningenvironment in which students are exposed to differentgenres of sources such as images, texts and numericaldata, encouraging them to discover interconnectionsand complexities, while learning at their own pace.Students can be expected to develop critical skills bycomparing primary sources and forming their ownhistorical interpretations. The various problems andmethods of locating and assessing relevant informationin cyberspace also foster critical thinking and aspirit of investigation. A computer-assisted coursetaught in Glasgow showed that students value the easeof access to relevant source materials offered bycustomised resource packs, which left them with moretime to evaluate their contents critically.